On the 27th, at the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis put on a red priest’s hat ‘biretta’ on the head of the Vatican Minister for the Clergy at a nightlife ceremony (71). At this moment, the fourth cardinal in the history of Catholicism in Korea was born. The red biretta is a cardinal symbol. It means being courageous and sometimes even ready to shed blood for God’s people and the Church.
Cardinal Eun···second highest position following the Pope
On that day, at 4 pm local time (11 pm Korean time), Pope Francis officiated the inauguration ceremony to appoint 20 new cardinals, including Cardinal Yu. The number of new cardinals previously announced on May 29 was 21, but Bishop Lucas van Louis (former Bishop of Ghent, Belgium), an elder clergyman, refused to appoint him himself, and Pope Francis accepted the appointment.
The cardinal is the second most powerful and honorable position in the Catholic Church following the Pope. it’s a tenured job There are 226 cardinals in the world, including 20 new cardinals.
The College of Cardinals is the highest advisory body to the Pope under canon law. Cardinals under the age of 80 cast one vote in the “conclave”, a ballot for a new pope in the event of the Pope’s death. Cardinal Yu has the right to vote until he turns 80.
“You are Peter”
“You are Peter. I will build my church on this rock, and the powers of the underworld will not overcome it. And I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. So whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
As Pope Francis entered St. Peter’s Basilica for the inauguration ceremony, the faithful began to sing a song containing Matthew 16:18-19.
This verse is regarding Jesus giving Simon the name ‘Peter (rock)’. Peter was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, and as the chief disciple, he served as a leader in the early church. He is also said to be the first pope. This verse, inscribed in Latin on the ceiling of St. Peter’s Basilica, is the starting point of all Catholic organization.
Pope Francis said in Luke 12:49-50 (“I have come to set the world on fire. Wouldn’t it be nice if the fire had already been kindled?”) and said, “The cardinal is a common man when dealing with everyday problems and dealing with powerful people. We must love the church with the same spiritual fire whenever we face believers,” he said.
The most important scene in the ceremony that followed was the moment when the new cardinals, one by one, knelt before the Pope, receiving a red biretta, a cardinal ring, and a bull. Cardinal Yu was the second cardinal to receive the Viretta, following Britain’s new Cardinal Arthur Rossi.
The ring worn on the ring finger of the cardinal’s right hand signifies communion with Peter’s successor (the Pope). The inside of the ring is therefore engraved with the coat of arms of the Pope, who appointed the cardinals. The bulls designate each new cardinal a Roman chapel as their parish.
Overcoming poverty in childhood, dreaming of a life of giving
Cardinal Yu is the fourth Korean cardinal in history. The Korean cardinals so far include the deceased Cardinals Suhwan Kim (1922~2009), Nicholas Jeong Jinseok (1931~2021), and Cardinal Sujeong Yeom Andrea (79), who passed away.
Born in 1951 in Nonsan, Chungcheongnam-do, the youngest of three children, Cardinal Yu’s childhood was harsh. At the age of six months, he faced the Korean War. He lost his father when he was infant and can’t even remember his face. His mother had to go through all her hardships to raise her three children on her own.
The poor and lonely boy found solace in the cathedral. Cardinal Yu is from Daegeon High School in Nonsan, built to commemorate the will of Father Kim Dae-geon, Korea’s first priest. When he was in his freshman year of high school, he was baptized into the Catholic Church and became a believer. He dreamed of a life of a priest who served at the time, at the invitation of the nuns, who at the time had encouraged him. Despite the opposition of his family, he entered the seminary.
He went to Italy to study and was ordained a priest there. In 1983, he received his doctorate in dogmatic theology from Lateran University in Rome, Italy. Laterano University is a university affiliated with the Holy See.
He was ordained a bishop in 2003 following serving as the chief assistant priest of the Daeheung-dong parish, the director of the retreat house of the Solmoe Holy Land, the director of the pastoral department of the Daejeon Diocese, and the president of the Daejeon Catholic University. Since 2005, he has served as the diocesan bishop of Daejeon.
His baptismal name was ‘Lazarus’. A Catholic saint who built a hut on a pillar near the monastery cathedral and committed himself to a life of asceticism.
Cardinal Yu was appointed Minister of the Pontifical Congregation for the Clergy in June last year. It is a position in charge of affairs related to the duties and lives of world priests and deacons. He was a ‘surprise selection’. It was the first time in the history of the Vatican that a Korean clergyman was appointed to a higher position than the assistant secretary of state. It is considered unusual for a diocesan bishop, not an archbishop, to rise to the position of cardinal. All cardinals appointed in Korea were from the Archdiocese of Seoul.
Since most of the ministers of the nine provinces (congregations), which are the administrative organs of the Holy See, are cardinals, this appointment was somewhat expected.
Expectations to strengthen communication between the Holy See and Catholicism in Korea
Cardinal Yu is one of the few Korean clergy who have close communication with Pope Francis. It is said that Cardinal Yu played a leading role until Pope Francis visited Korea in August 2014. It is expected that he will serve as a bridge between the Vatican and the Korean Catholic Church.
On this day, Cardinal Yum Su-jeong of South Korea (reigned in 2014) also attended the inauguration ceremony as a member of the Cardinals. Bishop Lee Yong-hoon, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Archbishop Jeong Sun-taek, Archbishop of Seoul, and Archbishop Kim Jong-su, Archbishop of Daejeon also congratulated Cardinal Yu on the appointment.
A government delegation headed by Jeon Byung-geuk, 1st Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, also attended the event. The delegation also delivered a congratulatory letter from President Yun Seok-yeol to Pope Francis. An official from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said, “We expect the bilateral relations to further develop with the appointment of Cardinal Yu and the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and the Pope next year.”
Reporter Gu Eun-seo [email protected]
